Gripping device for pencil and the like



Oct. 2, 1962 A. H. GINK 3,056,180

GRIFPING DEVICE FOR PENCIL AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 25, 1958 INVEN TOR. ARNOLD H. Gl/VK /Z Quay Attorney United States This invention relates to a device for gripping small articles such as pencils, pens, rulers and the like, and more particularly to a device for use in conjunction with pocket contained pencil holders of a type that are carried in the breast pockets of men's clothing.

Pencil containers with which this invention is to be used are of conventional design and are comprised of flexible material configured to have a rear facing sheet substantially of pocket Width and of greater than pocket height affixed to a front facing sheet of similar dimensions and having an upper portion thereof folded over onto itself so as to form a downward extending flap to be placed over the facing material of a pocket. The container is shaped as an inner sheath to be carried within a breast pocket of a shirt or coat and to contain objects placed therein.

Pencil containers have become popular for use as an aid to minimize soil and wear of clothing pockets. Articles placed within such containers are operably contained therein when the devices are supported in upright posi tions, but are not properly retained therein when the devices are inverted or tilted into a position with the top opening thereof being disposed in a downward position. In the latter positions articles may fall from a device to cause annoyance and inconvenience to the wearer of a pocket container.

This invention provides in pocket contained carrying devices a retaining means for use in gripping articles placed therein so as to prevent such articles from faling from the devices when they are supported in tilted or inverted positions. The gripping edges of the retaining means of this invention are disposed within the container near the bottom of the device so as to firmly contact and immobilize articles placed therein.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved construction for pocket contained carrying devices by the provision of a supplementary gripping means to be used therein.

It is a further object to provide a device that will operably grip and retain pencils, pens and similar articles to prevent the loss of such articles from pocket containers in which they are carried.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the drawings and from the following description in which it is intended to illustrate the applicability of the invention without thereby limiting its scope to less than all the equivalents which will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the drawings like reference numerals refer to like parts and:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the invention; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing the invention and a pocket lining device with a pencil inserted therein;

FIGURE 5 is a cut-away of a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention.

In FIGURE 1 is shown a pencil gripping appliance designated generally as comprising a collapsible and expandable device of triangular cross-section joined at the upper extremities of two relatively rigid sides by foldable interconnections 11 and 12 comprising the third side. A plurality of teeth 13 comprise serrated gripping edges 15 and 16. said edge 15 being disposed to have apexes of 7 teeth 13 thereon disposed opposite vertext angles 17 of the interstices between teeth 13 forming gripping edge 16.

atet O Serrated gripping edges 15 and 16 comprised of teeth 13 are disposed to remain in mutually close proximity by forces exerted upon them by the faces of container 18 as shown in FIGURE 4. Articles that are inserted into container 18 pass between gripping edges 15 and 16 and are frictionally held by the edges to prevent them from slipping from container 18 by the force of gravity upon the articles when container 18 is tilted into a partially inverted position.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention gripping edges 15 and 16 are comprised of a material which is elastomeric and relatively rigid such as, for example, thicknesses of oriented polyethylene plastic or of polyvinyl chloride plastic sufiicient to provide a resilient article. The material comprising the insertable device of the invention is not critical and may in non-preferred embodiments be comprised of bonded glass fibers, metal, rubber or cellulose materials. If gripping device 10 is placed within a thermoplastic liner possessing elastomeric properties a non-elastomeric material may be used for appliance 10'.

Edges 15 and 16 are comprised of teeth 13 which intermesh so as not to define compartmentalized areas between edges 15 and 16 for articles inserted therebetween. The articles that are inserted into appliance 10 may be moved laterally between edges 15 and 16 without first being withdrawn from contact with appliance 19. Several articles may be randomly spaced between edges 15 and 16 and may be easily moved aside when another article is inserted thereamong.

FIGURE 2 shows an elevation of appliance 1G in a fully expanded position. In fully closed position edges 15 and 16 fold together so that the upper surfaces of interconnecting members 11 and 12 are in contacting position across both faces. This is substantially the position that appliance 10 would take within container 18 of FIGURE 4 if no article were inserted therein.

FIGURE 3 shows a plan view of appliance 10 wherein gripping edges 15 and 16 are shown comprised of teeth 13 and interstitial spaces 17, said items being bounded by interconnecting members 11 and 12 at the end extremities of appliance 10.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of appliance 10 within container 18 having a pencil inserted therein. Appliance 10 is frictionally held within container 18 so as to be prevented from falling therefrom when container 18 is disposed in an inverted position. Edges 15 and 16 are enabled to expand away from each other in any increment of distance limited only by the length of interconnecting members 11 and 12 as shown. Interconnecting members 11 and 12 may be foldable at the centers thereof and may be folded either downward or upward to enable edges 15 and 16 to close into mutual close proximity; however, members 11 and 12 are not required to be foldable if edges 15 and 16 are sufiiciently close together.

In FIGURE 5 is shown another embodiment of the invention wherein interconnecting members 11 and 12 containing gripping edges 15 and 16 and teeth 13 are fixedly attached to container 18. The outer extremities of interconnecting members 11 and 12 are aflixed to the faces of container 18 by heat sealing, stapling, adhesive cementing, stitching or other suitable means. This configuration functions in a manner similar to device 10 of FIGURE 2 and possesses the advantages of being integral with container 18, less bulky than device 10 of FIGURE 2 and permanently positioned and less obtrusive than is a removable insert.

While certain modifications and embodiments of the invention have been described, it is of course to be understood that there are a great number of variations which will suggest themselves to anyone familiar with the subject matter thereof and it is to be distinctly understood that this invention should not be limited except by such limitations as are clearly imposed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pencil retaining device for being received in the pocket of an article of clothing, said device comprising in combination a substantially planar back portion and a substantially planar front portion of flexible sheet material, said back portion and said front portion being unitarily connected at least at the lowermost extremities thereof, jaw means comprising flexible sheet material disposed intermediate said back portion and said front portion and unitarily connected thereto, said jaw means being configured with opposed edges having tooth-like projections wherein said projections are downwardly disposed at an angle to said planar portions and wherein said projections of one edge are staggered with respect to said projections on the edge opposed thereto, said edges being 'biasable from mutual adjacency to enable articles to be inserted in unobstructed space therebetween and to be laterally moved therebetween.

2. A device receivable in the pocket of an article of clothing for holding pencils and the like, said device comprising in combination a substantially planar back portion and planar front portion, said portions comprising flexible sheet material and being unitarily connected at least at the lowermost extremities thereof, jaw gripping means disposed intermediate said back portion and said front portion and being unitarily connected to at least one of said portions, said jaw means being configured from flexible sheet material with opposed facing edges having toothlike gripping projections wherein the projections on one said edge are staggered in offset arrangement with respect to the said projections on the other of said edges, the interstitial space between said edges being unobstructed, said jaw means being foldable downward at an angle to said planar portions into substantially co-planar adjacency to said back portion and front portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 683,790 Parmenter Oct. 1, 1901 747,366 Bates Dec. 22, 1903 762,922 Meyerpeter June 21, 1904 987,085 Fraser et al. Mar. 14, 1911 989,213 Wahl Apr. 11, 1911 1,153,105 OConnor Sept. 7, 1915 1,386,700 Gilbert Aug. 9, 1921 1,584,776 Jorgensen May 18, 1926 1,614,607 Ewen Jan. 18, 1927 1,710,627 Keethes Apr. 23, 1929 1,819,225 Burman Aug. 18, 1931 2,152,133 Brousseau Mar. 28, 1939 2,778,080 Kernicki Jan. 22, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,821 Great Britain of 1912 

